Who is Marisela Nuno? California woman, 53, charged with wire fraud and money laundering in $18 million COVID relief case

A 53-year-old California woman has been indicted on multiple federal crimes after she was found guilty of the manipulation of $18 million of federal money meant to help struggling firms affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Marisela Nuno is a resident of Los Angeles and is said to have made fraudulent applications in order to get access to millions of dollars using federal relief programs. The woman was also accused of providing false business information and using part of the pandemic assistance funds for her personal needs and property acquisitions. Nuno is now facing multiple charges that could result in decades behind bars.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE ALLEGED $18 MILLION FRAUD

Marisela Nuno is a 53-year-old resident of Los Angeles County who has been indicted on criminal charges by the US federal grand jury in California, United States on November 3, 2026. According to the press release from US Department of Justice (DOJ), the case of Nuno revolves around a fraud of $18 million under two federal business relief programs specifically meant for supporting businesses during the pandemic.

Nuno asked for more than $15.7 million in funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and $2.6 million from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Both these programs have been authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide financial aid to companies impacted by the virus.

The federal prosecutors have charged that Nuno filed applications on behalf of companies and other entities that she owns. However, according to the investigation, the applications filed by Nuno included false information regarding the number of employees, average monthly payrolls, gross revenue, and eligibility for funding. Authorities also accused her of submitting falsified tax documents to support the loan requests.

The other charge brought by the DOJ was that Nuno had been using the money for unauthorized purposes, such as buying private property, starting up business ventures, and paying his family members.

WHAT CHARGES DOES NUNO FACE, AND HOW MUCH PRISON TIME COULD SHE GET?

Nuno is charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering after being charged by the federal authorities. According to the DOJ, the penalty for each wire fraud count is up to 20 years in jail, whereas the penalty for money laundering is up to 10 years.

In total, she faces 70 years in prison if she is found guilty on all four counts. However, the actual sentence will entirely depend on the court's decision.

This investigation included the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General of the Small Business Administration.

The indictment represents another federal effort to investigate suspected misuse of pandemic-era financial assistance.